Author of "WHEN LIONS ROAR: The Kennedys and Churchills" and author/producer of "MASTERS OF SEX", the book which is the basis for the Showtime series. I can be reached at:
ThomasMaierBooks@GMail.com

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"What I like most in Maier's giant work is the spine of this saga, the all-important record of influence the great soldier-statesman-historian's life exerted on the future American president." -- Chris Matthews, host of MSNBC's Hardball, review in Chartwell Bulletin, The Churchill Centre

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Over in Germany, the work of Herr Maier is getting an expansive review in the current edition of Der Spiegel, the leading European newsweekly. (Unfortunately, Herr Maier wasn't a whiz in German... or French or Spanish for that matter... so I don't know what they're saying about the book, but I'm assured it's good.) What is also interesting is the video for Der Spiegel's iPad version that accompanies this article.

This just in from Hamburg, an English translation (more or less):

"God, I was so insensitive?"

By Frank Thadeusz

The Sexforscher William Masters and Virginia Johnson clarified once the prudish America. A biography reveals the tense life of the couple.Honorable intentions led the American gynecologist William Masters in the fifties in peep shows and brothels. The professor drew the prospect of solving one of the great mysteries of mankind - at least for the male part: What takes place in the female orgasm really from?Behind the mirror walls hid Masters, always in a white coat and bow tie, and recorded all movements of prostitutes. The researchers believed already on a hot track, as one of his students with a statement approvingly to put all that time gained to waver: "Do you know that women fake orgasm often?"Masters knew it not. It was high time to search for the further progress of the investigations a knowledgeable partner. The best a woman.About a note on the bulletin board of the University of Masters was that he was looking for - this was one of the most unusual couples to each other in modern science. William Masters, the renowned gynecologist, Virginia Johnson chose to become an accomplice of his controversial Sexrecherchen - a very unusual choice. Johnson was a mother of two, twice divorced, Studienabbrecherin and interim secretary. "I was just so the princess," the chosen one was surprised himself laterVirginia Johnson went regularly to sexual foraysThe adventurous history of this duo has written, U.S. journalist Thomas Maier for the first time. Only recently has it been possible to gain profound insights into the tense life of this prominent scientist.Masters remained alive even closest colleagues a mystery. After his death in February 2001, he left behind after all, an unpublished memoir, has drawn from the Maier now. Johnson remained silent too long, but over the decades of pent anger the now 85-year-old apparently moved first in-depth about their work at the site of master information to give.The pair added initially extraordinarily well: he is a completely doting in his studies scholars, who rarely found on other people to access - they made a strange way early emancipated woman from the countryside, contrary to the usual gender roles in America in the fifties regularly to sexual forays went."I've gone out with anyone with whom I do not even sex had, "Johnson later confessed. Admirers of the Erotomanin separated after several months of whispers like love without a word of farewell. "God, I was really so insensitive?" Surprised they are in retrospect about himselfCrazy practices behind the walls InstituteJohnson gradually developed, at first only a better secretary, the indispensable assistant of William Masters. The company's Sexstudien at Washington University in St. Louis from the late fifties to the strictest secrecy. Thanks to her engaging nature Johnson recruited churning volunteers who copulated in the laboratory of her boss behind closed doors and for the benefit of science.With empathy tempered Johnson Masters' sometimes too bold ideas. The Sexdoktor had built a penis made of plexiglass and a camera is installed to film the penetration of the vagina. Johnson warmed up the dildo with a hot towel to help the test subject, the experiment with the cool tool.While university colleagues increasingly ludicrous practices on behind the walls Institute speculated arranged Masters and Johnson with hundreds Beischlafsitzungen volunteers. Their findings published in 1966 in which they work, "The sexual reaction."The book became a bestseller, although the authors tormented her readers with all sorts of statistics and an entirely wooden duct. The prelude was renamed in Masters and Johnson about under the name of "stimulating rapprochement opportunity." Nevertheless, the reading for the prudish Americans promised exciting news.Sex with Masters was for Johnson to the job profileRelieved, the audience heard that sex during pregnancy does not harm the fetus. Less pleased especially men reacted to the discovery that the female orgasm looks in comparison to the male climax like fireworks to a single cannon shot.Using of such provocative revelations those Americans were overtaxed, that are currently so aptly portrayed in the TV-company series "Mad Men": Men with wide-brimmed hat, which passed the morning with a kiss from her brave wife, to save the world - and to lunch the secretary flachlegten.Although Johnson had no university degree, did their knowledge of male and female needs, fear of failure in bed but awake together to a fairly successful sex therapy. Instead of how to deal with Freud over the years with early childhood disorders and neuroses, cured Masters and Johnson at home in St. Louis within a few weeks Sexmüde with so-called surrogates - helpful ladies who straightened up the libido of the mostly male patients with patient resources and caress again. This practice would have almost brought the duo to a method for prostitution.Johnson himself suffered from the unconventional methods of their partner. Regular sex with Masters was for them a long time to the job profile. Masters and his wife Elizabeth while sleeping in separate beds, with Johnson Masters, however, wanted "effective ways to reach orgasm or to prevent premature ejaculation, try it."It was perhaps sexual harassment," Johnson confessed now their biographers, "but if one earns $ 200,000 a year, will not be easy.""It all came from Bill - I did not want it"The curious relationship between the two researchers led by more than ten years of cooperation even in marriage. American newspapers were intoxicated by the dream wedding, and in interviews, Johnson dutifully piped: "Without him, I am restless. My only regret is that we have not found before."Only now, in old age, reveals the icon of the Sexforschung their true feelings for William Masters: "It all came from Bill - I would not. I have never loved him well." Also for the Masters was not a love marriage marriage with Johnson. The professor, however, saw jointly conducted Sexklinik in danger, when Johnson threatened to blow with a perfume manufacturer.For the same reason also prevented Masters, but that his partner was still a degree at university. That was not necessary and only disturb the operation, incited from Masters. In fact, the self-taught changed its name in the professional world without a degree in "Doctor Johnson."Masters compensated for the privations of his second wife in his own way: He gave generously to the larger office and called Johnson as a co-author of the always written either by him or other employees, books.The scientific base was the weak flank of the Seiteneinsteigerin. Interviews before Johnson had to be carefully trained with info cards, so as not to become entangled in medical details. Because her for real research, the basics were missing, she cultivated her role as a media star.The pioneers of the past, the customers run awayAs long as William Masters operational serious science, the success of the team was assured. End of the seventies, the idiosyncratic arrived but thoroughly wrong. In the book "Homosexuality," he said in all seriousness, gays could be transformed into heterosexuals "in his office within 14 days. Johnson fumed: "I do not want to be remembered because of this weak-mindedness to me." They railed against a friend about her husband: "He has invented it all and now writing this garbage!"Long Johnson tried to break away from the eroding relationship. What they did not managed worried, then Bill Masters. The age of 76, he filed for divorce and married a little later - already ill with Parkinson's - his childhood sweetheart. Johnson responded, however, not facilitated, but hurt.Shortly thereafter, in 1994, broke the Masters and Johnson Institute apart. The whole country was now littered with sexual therapist. The pioneers of old had run away the customers.Income, the two had always invested in their institution and therefore covered very little money. Masters died in 2001 as a charity. Johnson tried at times to sell cartridges with love tips discussed on the Internet.Meanwhile throws the former First Lady of the Enlightenment , the best times always wore elegant clothes, even during the day only a bathrobe on most. Former companions make a big bow around her biographer says Maier. For times when someone reports, Johnson often knows only one subject: bitter complaints about their former partners Bill Masters.URL:http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/0, 1518,716959,00. html

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Part of the fun of watching the trailer to Oliver Stone's new sequel to "Wall Street", his 1987 film, is knowing that some scenes were filmed at Fordham University in the Bronx, my alma mater. ** This trailer below looks pretty juicy. And the fact that one of the protagonists in this drama is a business student at Fordham makes it more amusing to me.I've always had an interest in Oliver Stone's work, far more than just the Fordham film clip. Stone's wildly entertaining film, "JFK" is now being sold on DVD along with a Warner Home Video documentary based on my 2003 book, "The Kennedys: America's Emerald Kings". My book was also re-issued in an updated 2008 paperback edition as well as on Kindle. **Fordham is more than just my alma mater. It's the lovely campus where my two youngest sons are now attending business school. Their older brother also has a Fordham b-school degree and my wife has an MBA from Fordham's Graduate School of Business. Fordham's church is where we got married. I bet Oliver Stone didn't know that!